Letters: U.S. can't afford to bail out Mideast

U.S. can’t afford to bail out Mideast
Now that the majority of troops have been removed from Iraq, the Obama administration has to stop spending in the Middle East.

A recent article reported that the United States plans to spend about $6 billion a year training and supporting Afghan troops and police after it begins pulling out its own combat troops in 2011. Enough is enough. How is this pulling out our troops? We will continue to spend this much money until 2015 with no guarantee that the Afghans will keep the Taliban or al Qaida in check.

This insanity has to stop. There must be a more intelligent, frugal strategy to defend terrorism.
--DAVID SMITH
--Springfield

Rabbi Sternberg deserves kudos, too
The Sept. 12 edition of The Republican carries a fine letter to the editor about the closing of the Hatikvah Holocaust Museum in Springfield.

In addition to all the people mentioned for their efforts I feel that Rabbi Robert Sternberg should have also been included. I was surprised to see no mention of his name. He worked extemely hard for many years to make the center a success.

The first time that I visited the center Rabbi Sternberg and his administrative assistant,. Reva Glushien went out of their way to make the trip a learning experience. On subsequent visits the rabbi even took the time from his busy schedule to assist me with some Hebrew translations to help me understand the exhibits better.
--Dr. RICHARD RABINOWITZ
--Hadley

Battery plant needs sales to be a success
This is in response to the opening of the Michigan advanced battery plant the Obama administration is calling a “success.” Simply because the plant has opened, doesn’t necessarily make it successful. It can be deemed successful only when people actually go out and purchase the product and the company shows a profit. Even with government subsidies, these cars and batteries are out of reach for most Americans.

Just wait. The first to buy these batteries will be the Chinese. In a couple of years we will see advanced batteries produced in China entering the market at a much lower cost. Instead of lifing the hood and seeing “made in America” on the battery engine as Obama predicts, there is a good chance we will be seeing “made in China” instead. How ironic will that be? Building advanced battery plants with money borrowed from China, only to have the Chinese make the product affordable for the masses.
--P.S. DeSIMONE
--East Longmeadow

Pit Bulls portrayed unfairly in media
Question, why does it take until the seventh paragraph to mention the breed of the dog in a recent article on the Ludlow man’s plan to move his dogs to Springfield? If it had been a Pit Bull I can assure it would have been mentioned immediately and prominently.

The article uses the word “dog” numerous times before getting to the actual breed. It even mentions their names, how nice. Why the double standard on the dogs? As a past and current owner of a Pit, the unfair portrayal the dog has received offends me.

Did you know in the 1950s and ¤’60’s it was the most popular breed in America? Did you also know that Helen Keller used a Pit Bull and Teddy Roosevelt had one too? How about the cute dog in the TV series “Spanky and the Gang?” That was a Pit Bull.

A little research would show that when it comes to dog attacks the Pit isdown on the list. It’s unfortunate that some individuals have given the dog its undeserved reputation and even more disturbing that the media hasn’t bothered to get the whole story.
--DENNIS LeFEBVRE
--Ludlow

To get back power, GOP will sell its soul
Columnist Charles Krauthammer is full of anger and rage over the Republicans losing the last election. He will say mean and hateful things using downgrading and insulting terminology to make President Barack Obama look incompetent ie: “Pitchfork-wielding mobs”, “race baiting” and all this nonsense.

I would hope that a well-informed electorate will not fall for this kind of inflammatory rhetoric.

The Republican pundits and people like columnist Michelle Malkin are so upset over the loss of the last presidential election that they will say anything outrageous and downright insulting toward President Obama in an effort to get back and in power.

God help us if the Republicans get back in power. Think of the two unnecessary wars they got us into, along with this “depression” and a bunch of other moves that have wrecked this country.